switzerland has a reputation for manufacturing products that are perfect, or at least as close to perfection as one can reasonably hope to get. In addition to the best watches and – arguably – the best banknotes in the world, the Swiss have recently introduced a new family of passports. On first inspection, they offer a perfect defence against forgers and counterfeiters. This article offers an introduction to a world where perfection goes hand-in-hand with innovation. Benno Nager (born 19 June 1963) is a Swiss lawyer and IPMA Project Manager (level B). He has been involved in the Swiss Identification Papers Project since early December 1998. He has been Head Project Manager since 2001 (Federal Department of Justice and Police/Federal Office of Police)